The popularity of college sports has increased exponentially over the past few decades. Because of this, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has significantly increased its revenue. This increase in money has led to a lot of debate about the people who make college sports possible: student-athletes, and whether they should be paid. Student-athletes should be paid the considerable amount of money the NCAA makes from them, and so that these student-athletes can have money to help themselves or their families. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Student-athletes are the foundation of college sports, without them the NCAA would cease to exist. Even though the NCAA is very successful with all of its games and tournaments, student-athletes do not receive any form of monetary compensation. This seems very reckless as “the NCAA currently produces nearly $11 billion in annual revenue from college sports” (Forbes). This shows how student-athletes are truly exploited. College sports may not be the same as professional sports, but many fans still follow college sports religiously. Purchase lots of merchandise such as tickets, jerseys, food and fan accessories. And the people who drive all of this (the student athletes) don't get a dime. This causes many athletes to feel discouraged and mistreated because they are the catalysts who run the entire operation but receive nothing in return. People may wonder, “If student-athletes are paid, what will this money be used for?” which is a fair question. Students may use the money to buy better meals because they don't have time to work, others may use the money to support their families. Many athletes come from lower-class urban families, and being able to provide money to the family could be a game changer. Many students will leave college early so they can get drafted into professional sports leagues and start earning money to support their families. If student-athletes were paid in college, they would be able to finish their education and support their families. This would really be the best case scenario because there are no guarantees in professional sports, so it would make things worse if a student-athlete decided to leave college early to get drafted, but then got cut from his team and ended up with no job and no degree. People argue that student-athletes should not be paid because then college sports would no longer be considered amateur, however, how will this affect college sports in any way? The Olympics also once adhered to a strict code of amateurism, but in 1988 the Olympics allowed professional athletes to compete in the Olympics and it appears the Olympics are still in good shape. Please note: this is just an example. Get an article customization now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay The entire college sports industry revolves around these student-athletes, and without them it would be non-existent The NCAA profits greatly from the work of student-athletes but is too stubborn to pay them. It seems like a simple enough system, if you help earn money you should get paid. College athletes deserve to be paid for their great contributions to the NCAA.